Gummy is a small toothless green alligator who is kept as a pet by Pinkie Pie. He appears in various episodes accompanying Pinkie Pie and is often depicted gumming her. He is called Gummy Snap in some merchandise and other media.

Contents

Development and design

Gummy is depicted with a forked tongue and bright green scales, akin to snakes and some lizards. Real crocodylians do not possess these traits. Their scales are much duller and their tongues aren't forked and cannot "stick out". Gummy's V-shaped snout is more akin to crocodiles, rather than alligators, the latter having a more rounded U-shaped snout.

In the original script for Slice of Life, Gummy's internal monologue was spoken in a French accent.[2]

Personality

When Gummy is first introduced in the episode Feeling Pinkie Keen, he shows rather jumpy behavior. After Pinkie Pie removes him from the bath tub and sets him on the floor, he proceeds to bite her repeatedly; however, as he has no teeth, this does not harm Pinkie, who barely even reacts. Party of One shows that his behavior is usually more peaceful and a little more distant, although he still tends to bite whatever happens to be near him, such as balloons or streamers.

Gummy is docile to the point of absurdity in Party of One. In direct contrast with Pinkie Pie's crazed antics, he shows close to no awareness of his surroundings, often standing still and staring into space with the same unchanging expression on his face, though in his first appearance he seems to raise the sides of his mouth to make an almost small "smile." At his birthday party, Gummy "dances" to music by simply waving his tail side-to-side. He also uses a ball of wool as a toy, pushing it along with his nose or riding it as it rolls along.

Pinkie seems convinced that Gummy is much more complex and lively than he appears to be. At the end of Party of One, for example, she says that Gummy was "pretty upset" that his after-birthday party was "cut short" when Rainbow Dash pulled them away, despite the fact that Gummy had shown no change in his behavior or mood whatsoever. In Just for Sidekicks, she even interprets his silence as if he were actually speaking to her.

Just for Sidekicks marks the first episode since Feeling Pinkie Keen that he has any change of expression beyond his vacant stare. He narrows his eyes angrily when Angel mocks him and the other pets at the Cutie Mark Crusaders clubhouse, again when he witnesses Angel trying to ditch them on a train to the Crystal Empire, and a third time with happy relief when Spike's growling stomach is quieted, keeping them safe from detection on the ride back. In the episode Maud Pie, he is shown with a bored expression alongside the rest of the Mane Six's pets.

In Slice of Life, Gummy has an existential monologue in his head. In Party Pooped, he appears in Pinkie Pie's bedroom at Sugarcube Corner, attempting to catch a bumblebee with his tongue through a glass window.

Depiction in the series

Season one

Gummy's first appearance.

Gummy is introduced in Feeling Pinkie Keen when Pinkie Pie brings Twilight Sparkle to her apartment to clean her of mud. Pinkie's Pinkie Sense is triggered by "an alligator in the tub," and she promptly fishes out Gummy. Twilight jumps out of the tub in fright, but Pinkie explains that he has no teeth, and Gummy demonstrates his harmlessness by biting Pinkie all over, to no harmful effect. Gummy later appears in Party of One and accompanies Pinkie Pie in her singing telegram, which invited her friends to Gummy's first birthday party at Sugarcube Corner. At his party, he "dances" by wagging his tail, lounges in a punch bowl and the apple bobbing bin, and stands around with a vacant expression, either on all-fours or on his hind legs.

Gummy, the good cop.

Later, when Pinkie's invitations to Gummy's after-birthday party are rejected, Gummy accompanies Pinkie Pie as she investigates the secret her friends held from her. When she brings Spike in for questioning, Gummy bites on Spike's tail and pulls it back to restrain him. Afterwards, Gummy's after-birthday party is celebrated by Pinkie and her imaginary friends until interrupted by Rainbow Dash, who pulls Pinkie and Gummy to Pinkie's surprise birthday party at the Sweet Apple Acres barn house. Once there, Pinkie realizes that her friends were never trying to abandon her, and she and Gummy enjoy the festivities with the others; Gummy is seen jumping up at a balloon tossed between Applejack and Fluttershy, biting it once it lands. Afterwards, they all agree to include Gummy's after-birthday party in the festivities.

Season two

Gummy is later seen in May the Best Pet Win!, participating in the girls' regular "Pony-pet play date" with Pinkie.

Season three

I LOVE YOU MORE!

He appears again in Just for Sidekicks as one of the pets Spike volunteers to petsit in exchange for a jewel. Here, Pinkie acts as if she understands what Gummy's 'saying', interpreting his silence however she sees fit, and also heatedly asserts that she loves him more when saying goodbye. This is also one of the few episodes where he expresses other emotions beyond his vacant stare, such as disdain at Angel's behavior or relief when Spike and the pets avoid being caught on the train back home.

Season four

A brief live-action footage of a baby alligator in a passive mood is used to depict Gummy in the episode Pinkie Pride. This footage is used within Pinkie Pie's Goof Off shenanigans to liken it to Cheese Sandwich's rubber chicken Boneless appearing in a live-action footage of a puppet animation during the musical number that time. The footage is based on an available stock video of the baby alligator which was purchased off Pond5.com.[3]

Season five

Gummy appears with Pinkie at Sugarcube Corner in The Lost Treasure of Griffonstone when Pinkie and Gummy work to bake up a recipe made by Pinkie's Granny Pie. As Pinkie's cutie mark vibrates indicating that the Cutie Map is summoning her, she leaves Gummy to bake with the recipe without her. Gummy only lies on the counter with the mixer in his mouth.

Gummy appears in Slice of Life, talking to himself in his head about the "meaning of life without a cutie mark".

In Party Pooped, as Pinkie panics over impressing Prince Rutherford, Gummy licks Pinkie's face, and Pinkie somehow gets the idea to travel to Yakyakistan. While Pinkie is away, Gummy drops from the ceiling and lands on Twilight's head.

In The One Where Pinkie Pie Knows, Gummy gives Pound Cake a ride on his back, and Pound Cake gives Gummy his pacifier. He later rides on Pinkie's back on their way to Twilight's castle. When Pinkie returns from her delivery run, Gummy appears on her bed slobbering on her list of Pinkie Promises.

Season six

In 28 Pranks Later, Gummy takes part in a closet-scaring prank on Pinkie Pie with Rainbow Dash. In P.P.O.V. (Pony Point of View), Gummy delivers a letter to Twilight from Pinkie saying that she will not be able to attend Twilight's tea party. He also delivers Pinkie a message from Twilight stating a friendship emergency.

Season seven

In A Royal Problem, Pinkie is seen surfing on Gummy in a dream bubble. In Not Asking for Trouble, Gummy accompanies Pinkie on her balloon trip to and from Yakyakistan, where he "plays" games of "I Spy" and "Twenty Million Questions" with her.

In Secrets and Pies, Pinkie takes Gummy down to her secret basement, where he just stares into space while Pinkie begins to suspect that Rainbow Dash had been avoiding her pies for ages. Later, when she feels devastated after learning the truth, Pinkie initially believes there is an odor coming from Gummy, which actually turns out to be coming from a bad pie Rainbow Dash made.

Other depictions

The Elements of Harmony guidebook

Be careful what you put in front of GUMMY, because he's likely to grab it! But don't blame Pinkie Pie's pet alligator so quickly. He doesn't mean any harm; it's just his nature.

Volume II guidebook

For a toothless little alligator, GUMMY has bite! He prefers chilling out with Pinkie Pie. His other hobbies include lying around, remaining silent, and staring. He's an odd, little reptilian sidekick.

Quotes

"What is life? Is it nothing more than the endless search for a cutie mark? And what is a cutie mark but a constant reminder that we're all only one bugbear attack away from oblivion? And what of the poor gator, flank forever blank, destined to an existential swim down the river of life to an unknowable destiny?"